Locomotive buffer-beam.



G.- T. WESTLAKE.

LOCOMOTIVE BUFFER BEAM. APPLICATION mm APR. I8, 1911.

Patented July 10, 1917.

, v JJ H I E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. WES'ILAKE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO COM MONWEALTHSTEEL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

LOCOMOTIVE BUFFER-BEAM.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Application filed April 16, 1917. Serial No. 162,403.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. Wns'r- LAKE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Locomotive Buffer-Beams, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to the openings usually formed throughthe top member or wall of a metallic buffer-beam for lightening the beamand providing access to its interior.

It has been found in practice that these openings are a source of dangerto the operator from the liability of his feet catching therein and socausinghim to trip, and my invention has for its object to eliminatethis danger.

It consists in protectin the said openings by gratings as hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawingforming part of this specification, whereon,

Figure 1,.is a top plan view of a locomotive buffer-beam constructedaccording to m invention; Fig. 2, a similar View to Fig. 1 of the beamshowing an alternative form of the improvement, and Fig. 3, a crosssection through the beam on line 3, 3, in Fig. 1.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all thefigures.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, a represents my improvedlocomotive bufferbeam which is preferably, in the present caserectangular box-shaped in cross section of cast steel integralthroughout.

Within the beam a, at each side of the lon itudinal center of thelocomotive frame an transverse center w of the beam a is preferablyarranged a diagonal brace b which unites with and diverges from thefront wall 1 of the beam a to the rear wall 2 of the beam or at theconnection therewith of the corresponding longitudinal member 3 of thesaid frame.

In carrying out my invention, each opening usually formed through thetop member or Wall 4 of the beam or at each side of its transversecenter line 00, and the configuration of which in the present case isindicated by the heavy broken lines '0 and d respectively, is covered bya grating consisting of a plurality of intersecting bars 5 formingpreferably, rectangular-shaped interstices 6 which with the bars 5 aresnitably arranged to conform collectively as nearly as practicable tothe shape of the space inclosed by the lines 0 and d respectively, thedivision bars 5, at the lines 0 and d being united integrally with thetop member 4 of the beam a as shown; it being noted in this connection,that the sides of the lines o and d preferably conform to the directionof the diagonal braces 5, front Wall 1, and rear Wall 2 respectively, ofthe beam (1.

Or in lieu of rectangular-shaped interstices 6 as described,circular-shaped interstices 6 may be used as seen in Fig. 2; or theinterstices of the gratings may be of any other shape as found mostsuitable. Moreover, each grating so formed and arranged in lieu of beingintegral with the top member 4, may be separate therefrom and fixedthereto around and conformably to the lines o and d in any suitablemanner, and in this connection it is to be noted that, the sameprinciple and construction of grating may be applied to any other formof openin through the top of a buffer-beam or end si 1, and analogous tothe openings indicated by the lines o and d.

I claim 1. In a buffer-beam of the character described having an openingthrough the top, a grating adapted to form a cover to the said openin 2.A bu er-beam of the character described having perforations through thetop adapteito form a grating.

CHARLES T. W'ESTLAKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. G.

